The late Filipino food writer Doreen Fernandez once wrote, “Chicken in Silay is always associated in my memory with inasal, the local barbecue, which used to be available at merienda time only in the market area. The chicken parts are marinated in tuba vinegar and garlic, then brushed with lard while grilling over coals…”
This is from her book “Sarap” published in 1988.
Doreen added: “Now inasal has become institutionalized, with a Manukan Country…” referring to a popular local and tourist eatery in Bacolod where the best chicken inasal is made.
Today variations of this “lechon manok” can be found, primarily marinated, grilled, and basted with calamansi and atsuete (aka annatto or Bixa orellana).
Also in “Sarap” is a glossary where she defines Inasal as: “[Ilongo] chicken barbecued on a spit.”
20 years ago today Doreen Gamboa Fernandez reached a higher plane (or plate?), leaving a legacy of Filipino food writing that continues to stir imaginations about Filipino food of the past, and rumbles our stomachs for Filipino food today and in the future.
Printable: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1214621493/chicken-inasal-filipino-food
